An open letter to Senator John Ensign

It must be time to gear up for the upcoming elections for national office in the US. Of course, the news has been full of stories regarding this or that contender. The election cycle has begun, and with a vengeance, sooner than ever before. By the time the election is held, I'm sure my fellow USians and myself will be as sick of the election as we are of the word terrorist.

I just received a solicitation in the mail. It's a letter designed to enlist my aid in helping the Republican Party take back the Senate. The Senator who heads up this effort is Senator John Ensign, (Republican), Nevada. He explains in what he terms a 'straightforward letter' the need to defeat the Democrats in 2008. The reasons he gives are as follows:

These three points are supposed to be sufficient motivation for me to crack open my checkbook and help the Republicans retake the majority position.

I'd like to share my 'straightforward letter' of response to the Senator.

April 27, 2007

The Honorable Senator John Ensignc/o NSRC425 Second StreetWashington, DC 20002

Dear Senator Ensign;

Thank you for your straightforward letter soliciting for the Republican Party and their efforts to regain control of the Senate. In return I send my straightforward response explaining why I will not be giving my support or vote to the Republican Party.

I agree that the Democrats look forward to raising taxes whenever possible. However, the Republican Party when they had control of both Houses spent the taxpayer's money like there is no tomorrow, completely abandoning any semblance of fiscal restraint or limited government.

The Democrats will probably succeed to roll back the tax cuts made under President George Bush. In large part I believe that is because the Republican majority didn't have the courage to make them permanent. Instead, they allowed the laws to be enacted under 'sunset' provisions requiring successive enabling legislation, a tactic guaranteed to eventually cause the demise of the legislation.

When President Bush took office, I thought there was a chance he might follow the successful steps of President Ronald Reagan. He, however, is cut from the same cloth as his father. He is not a conservative by any means. He is a globalist, and has done little to bolster the strength of this nation. Yes, he has built up the military, but that doesn't mean the nation is more healthy. He has consistently promoted globalism, a policy I do not support in any fashion. His policy on illegal immigration has made a bad problem worse. The Republicans have failed to secure the borders of this nation, all the time crying terrorist to drive people to support them. I will no longer be a part of this political shell game.

The Republican Party is in disarray. The President apparently thinks that his party's loses in the last election are due to the traditional loses shown historically in midterm elections in a President's second term. I do not believe that to be the case. I believe the electorate abandoned the Republican Party because the Republican Party abandoned the electorate. In other words, the Republican Party didn't give the people anything to endorse or support. When the party abandoned the principles they ran on, the voters abandoned them. The party bought its own defeat. They will continue to lose until they find some courage and principles.

When the Republican Party rediscovers its principles and grows a spine, I will be happy to help in any way I can. Until that time, I'm AWOL.

I look forward with interest to see who the Republicans present as our next candidate for President, as well as the slate for the other offices. I hope they find some men (or women) of principle and courage, some candidates who have the grit to provide leadership.

The ending is simply the traditional one, name and address, which has of course been deleted for purposes of this write up.

I'm fed up with politics. I'm a social and fiscal conservative, and there is no political home for my ilk in the US. The Republicans think they own conservatism but that is not true, as evidenced by the result of the last election. My hope is my letter will actually find its way to the Senator, but I'm not holding my breath.

What I'd really like to see is the formation of a viable third political party in the US. Politics is like professional wrestling in many ways. The 2 contestants (political parties) bash one another and throw each other about, all great showmanship, but at the end of the show both contestants walk away with the money of the spectators. The Democrats win a few rounds, the Republicans win a few, all orchestrated to keep the interest level high. Contributors line up, write their checks and become invested in the outcome. The parties divide up the take, the boodle, the bling.

I realize I may be too idealistic. I can't help but believe that if the founding fathers of this nation saw the political equivalent of The Jerry Springer Show that politics have become, they would wonder why they ever made the sacrifices necessary to gain freedom.